Dance of the Returned (Volume 90)

Detective Monique Blue Hawk #2

by Devon A. Mihesuah

The disappearance of a young Choctaw leads Detective Monique Blue Hawk to investigate a little-known ceremonial dance. As she traces the steps of the missing man, she discovers that the seemingly innocuous Renewal Dance is not what it appears to be. After Monique embarks on a journey that she never thought possible, she learns that the past and future can converge to offer endless possibilities for the present. She must also accept her own destiny of violence and peacekeeping.

Genres: Indigenous, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

312 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2022

Reviews

[Lori Strecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wavered between a 3 and 4 star review. I don’t necessarily love the author’s writing style. On one hand, I feel like there is a lot of over explaining, too many words. On the other, well, I’ll bet there are some readers who need that. I do feel like she’s getting better at this with every novel. And I recognize that different styles work for different folks.

5 stars (and the spoiler tag) for the story.








I love this. I love sci-fi, I love speculative fiction, I love the thought of a colonized, marginalized group of folks gaining access to the ability to possibly change their fate. I LOVE THIS.

So I split the difference with a 4 star review. I haven’t read any of her nonfiction, but they’re in my queue. And I will continue reading anything she publishes in this series. I’m hooked.

[Tala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the 2nd Monique Black Hawk mystery/thriller and was pretty interesting. Not quite as good as the first but still pretty darn good. I really like learning about current and past Native American issues from this author. Her writing is very descriptive and realistic. I hope that there is another Monique Mystery brewing in the works. A++

[Diana Biggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mihesuah is an excellent writer but I did not particularly enjoy this novel. I found it preachy and I definitely dislike Leroy's character. The whole idea of justified killing is repugnant to me, and the concept on being able to continually alter history makes absolutely no sense. The Hatak Witches is much better.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author weaves Cherokee history into a time travel adventure, which is an unusual plot. I had a bit of trouble following the storyline but the characters and their experiences are valuable to understanding the Cherokee culture.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Much higher than I’d expected when I was in the first few chapters; early on I was so confused or just found everything very dull and tiresome. But then: more confusion but in an interesting way! And then POW: clarity. Still firmly in place as one of the authors I will be following.